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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. chest — a box
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. vault — a safe
  10. squash — to crush
  11. rest — a break
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. ball — a great time
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. kick — in football
  16. bore — to drill
  17. chest — of your body
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com